Retired Immigration Comptroller General David Parradang Killed by Kidnappers in Abuja

By: Zagazola Makama

Retired Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), David Shikfu Parradang, has been killed by kidnappers in Abuja.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that Parradang was abducted in Area 1, Abuja, in the early hours of Tuesday after being trailed from a bank where he had withdrawn money. According to intelligence sources, the assailants took the cash from him before eventually killing him.

The tragic incident has raised fresh concerns over security in the Federal Capital Territory, particularly regarding the increasing cases of kidnappings and targeted attacks.

Parradang, who served in the NIS for over 30 years, held various positions across the country, including Comptroller General and postings in Kano, Lagos, Kwara, Enugu, and the Federal Capital Territory. He also attended several professional courses both within Nigeria and internationally.

In recognition of his service, he was awarded the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and was a distinguished graduate of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

Security agencies have reportedly launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his abduction and killing, with efforts ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators.

Retired Immigration Comptroller General David Parradang Killed by Kidnappers in Abuja

IWD: Stakeholders Converge in Abuja, Strategizes on Improving Lives of Vulnerable Citizens

By: Michael Mike

Worried by the low level of women, children and Persons With Disabilities, (PWD), inclusion in the National affairs, stakeholders on Monday converged in Abuja to strategize on way forward in advocating for the vulnerable citizens in Nigeria.

The stakeholders at the second annual conference of Commissioners of State Ministries of Women Affairs organized by the Ministry of Women Affairs with support of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) Programme noted that, achieving gender equality involved transforming social norms and power dynamics that supported the political, social and economic empowerment of the most marginalised and vulnerable, notably women , children and PWD.

Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim represented by her Senior Special Assistance,(SSA) on Women and Community Engagement, Princess Joan Idonije said the theme for this year, “accelerate action” is apt as there is need for renewed commitment, and bold action to tackle the issues of gender parity.

Suleiman-Ibrahim emphasized the need to critically evaluate the effectiveness of Nigeria’s policies and governance structures to ensure that collective interventions yield tangible and measurable impact, particularly at the sub-national level where the needs are most acute.

She said: “We must ensure that every intervention is tracked, evaluated, and reported. Investing in state-level gender data systems will enable us to measure progress and feed into the national Women’s Empowerment and Protection Dashboard — ensuring accountability and transparency in our collective efforts.

“The success of our policies will not be measured by the frameworks we create but by the lives we transform. We must break down silos and foster collaborative partnerships that amplify impact at every level. This is the time to forge bold, practical, and scalable solutions that accelerate progress for women, children, and persons with disabilities across Nigeria.”

She also expressed appreciation to RoLAC, and other development partners who continue to champion the cause of women, children, and vulnerable groups. Commending the State Commissioners for Women Affairs for their leadership and unwavering dedication to advancing gender equality at the sub-national level.

Head of Programme Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, Danladi Plang, on his part, tasked state commissioners on the need to pursue the enactment and implementation of relevant laws for women, children and PWD.

Plang called on relevant authorities to make available, resource allocations and investment for the sector to thrive beyond the rhetorics before the next election circle.

He said: “The core objectives of the Rule of Law Programme is to increase access to justice for women, children and persons with disabilities. Since 2017, in support of the European Union, we have been implementing this programme across five states in Phase 1 and currently we are working in seven states and the FCT.

“We have worked with our partners to do a number of things. Critical amongst them is some of the legislation that we have supported the various states to put, child protection law or what we know as the child rights law in some of the states, the VAPP law in some states and then the law that protects or prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities.

“The Ministries, in particular the commissioners, play a very big standard role to serve as catalysts, to change, to also serve as coordinators of implementation of policies in the states, but more importantly to serve as influencers within the cabinet.

Speaking on the sidelines with reporters at the event, Plang also disclosed that, the survivors of about 8000 have been assisted by the SARCs, stating that: “Last year we commission NCPWD to ensure that building are accessible, especially office buildings.
Ensure advocacy, with the Commissioners as they are in the states and when they do not have the laws, they are able to see the benefits of those that have and discuss with their governors. Through the Nigerian governors forum so that they can plan together and know what their counterparts are doing and learn to move the agenda forward.”

In his contribution, the Project Manager, Access to Justice RoLAC Programme, Oluwatoyosi Giwa while setting the tone and objectives, said the conference is poised at initiating narratives that will have direct impact and benefit for vulnerable citizens.

She said: “We hope that by the end of these three days, you will have action plans derived from the different presentations that have been made of things that you can go back and implement and that will make a difference in the lives of women, of children and of persons with disabilities in your various locations.

“Let us speak our truth and let us share our experience so that we can learn from each other and so that we can take back something tangible to go and make change in our various spaces.”

The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, for his part, noted that, almost all the Nigerian states have enacted the law but yet to implement.

He said, We need to explore these talents that women have. When you leave aside half of the population, you will miss specific talents that. Mixed groups with both women and men are more efficient than groups with only women or only men and this is very true for politics as well.

IWD: Stakeholders Converge in Abuja, Strategizes on Improving Lives of Vulnerable Citizens

UN Women commends Nigeria for implementing Beijing Platform for Action

By: Michael Mike

UN Women has commended Nigeria for the significant progress it has made in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action, especially in women’s political participation, economic empowerment, education, and the fight against gender-based violence.

UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong gave the commendation in Abuja on Monday at a high-level consultation on Nigeria’s Beijing+30 Report Review in preparation for the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69).

Eyong explained that despite the progress made, there are still emerging challenges that require collective action to drive transformative change, restating UN Women’s commitment to support Nigeria in fast-tracking gender-responsive policies.

She said: “This consultation is a crucial step in ensuring that Nigeria’s national report for CSW69 is inclusive, reflective of diverse perspectives, and aligned with the realities of women and girls across the country.

“Your participation today—whether from government, civil society, academia, or the development sector—demonstrates our shared commitment to reviewing our progress, identifying key priorities, and shaping strategic recommendations that will contribute to Nigeria’s gender equality agenda beyond Beijing+30.

“At UN Women, we remain steadfast in our support to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and all stakeholders in accelerating gender-responsive policies, strengthening women’s leadership, and ensuring sustained progress on the commitments made under the BPfA.”

According to the UN Women Country Representative, Nigeria needs to assess its achievements, challenges, and emerging priorities in preparation for the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69).

She noted that: “This consultation is an essential follow-up to the initial report drafted in November 2024, providing a platform to comprehensively enrich and refine the document through a participatory and inclusive approach. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, in collaboration with UN Women and key stakeholders, has demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s report is not only robust and reflective of our national realities but also aligned with global best practices.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women, remains one of the most comprehensive global policy frameworks for achieving gender equality.”

She said that constitution identified 12 critical areas of concern that require urgent action, including Women and poverty, Education and training of women, Women and health, Violence against women, and Women and armed conflict.

Other areas she listed were Women and the economy, Women in power and decision-making, Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women, Human rights of women, Women and the media, Women and the environment, as well as the girl child.

Also speaking Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who was represented by the Director Women Development, Mrs. Friya Bulus, pointed out that the platform creates an avenue to celebrate the achievements being made by Nigeria, and the way forward as a country.

She said: “We are here today to recognize the progress we’ve made, Beijing plus 30, and to assess our performance, to look at the report we’ve been able to put together, to assess our areas of challenges, look at what we need to push out as best practices over the years, and also look at what has constituted major challenges to women economic empowerment and gender equality.

“Our strategic review today of Nigeria’s progress in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action over the 30 years is very, very strategic.”

She however implored participants to critically look at the reports that have been produced over time, because it took some concerted efforts to put together the Beijing Plus 30 report for Nigeria.

UN Women commends Nigeria for implementing Beijing Platform for Action